Manchester City are set to invest £300million in revamping the Etihad Stadium’s North Stand.
The club plan to add 7,700 seats to the second tier of the stand, which will take the capacity to about 61,000.
The redevelopment will also include a new hotel, covered fan park, megastore and a museum built on the campus.
The eye-watering amount of cash committed to the works is expected to take City’s overall spend on infrastructure development in the area — including previous stadium improvements, the training ground and community centres — to £1billion.
The project consultation with fans and residents ended last Sunday and City will now apply for planning permission. If granted, the club expect work to start in November and hope the capacity expansion will be complete for the start of the 2025-26 season, with other building work finished a year later.
City said that ‘the construction period would be carefully planned around the football season to minimise the potential for disruption’.
The increased capacity will bring City in line with clubs such as Tottenham, Arsenal and West Ham United. Liverpool’s development of Anfield is also expected to hit the 61,000 mark.
Architect firm Populous have designed the remodel. Their past projects include Tottenham’s new stadium. Feasibility studies undertaken at the end of last year brought 434 responses.
City said 79 per cent of those comments were considered ‘either specifically voicing support or positively contributing ideas for us toconsider as part of our formal proposals’.
Fans want improved transport and some requested restaurants that are available to those who have not purchased hospitality tickets. Part of the overhaul will include more bars and eateries, and the covered fan enclosure would cater for 3,000 people.
City’s current facilities are largely open to the elements. The club estimate the project will create 2,600 jobs, with priority given to local applicants.
The new builds will sit alongside the Co-op Live Arena, which is due to open in December and will be the largest indoor music venue in the UK — with a capacity of 23,500 — and lists City as a stakeholder.
Meanwhile, City’s highly regarded young striker Cole Palmer has admitted he has not done himself justice during limited chances this season.
‘The season has been tough,’ Palmer said. ‘When I’ve played, I don’t think I’ve played to the ability I could have. No complaints. Maybe I’ve been trying too hard.’